Dual Jolt
by Skye
Summary: Elyon has a conversation with her captive. Taranee/Elyon


_Notes: Comic universe. Takes place sometime during issue 4, somewhat of a scene rewrite._

**Dual Jolt**

"Taranee, What does friendship mean to you?" the displaced princess asked.

From her bubble, Taranee could only glare at her group's traitor. "Probably not the same thing it means to you," she replied.

"You think so?" Princess Elyon asked, moving closer to Taranee despite Cedric's warnings not to. "Would you like to know what friendship means to me?" the princess asked. Her face peered up at Taranee, the expression pure and friendly.

But Taranee knew it was just a facade. "I think I have enough of an idea, Elyon," she said. There was a slight pause, and her eyes wandered over to Elyon, who stared back at her and smiled. Taranee quickly broke this connection, keeping her arms folded and expression stony.

"For me, friendship can be summed up in one word. Pain," Elyon said plainly.

"The pain you cause others?"

Elyon flinched. "Any pain my former friends experienced they brought upon themselves!" she insisted. "But I know how friends will submit you to pain. Look how your's sacrificed you to save themselves. I'm glad I'm not in your shoes, walled up in some prison."

"They'll be back," Taranee said.

"They've left you. They aren't coming back. How long have you been here? A week? If they were going to be here, they'd be here by now."

"One minute from now or one year from now, they'll be back for me," Taranee insisted.

"And you'd be willing to sacrifice a year of your life for their sakes?"

"Yes," Taranee spoke confidently without hesitating. "That and more."

"WHY?" Elyon broke her composure, surprising Taranee. "How could you be so willing to give up your life for people who let you sit here and rot? What makes you so sure that they'd come back for you when they won't come back for me, and don't miss me at all?"

Taranee turned around, and faced Elyon. "Elyon, your friends do miss you being around. Everyone did worry about you. We would rescue you. If you were actually in trouble instead of the enemy that is."

"Maybe I do need to be rescued," Elyon said. She put her arms up, and appeared in Taranee's bubble.

"How did you get here?" Taranee asked. As she spoke, she realized it herself. She had let Elyon in.

"I don't know," Elyon admitted. She blushed a little as she realized Taranee held her in her arms. Taranee's body seemed much more mature than the last time she'd seen her. How could she have become so beautiful in such a short amount of time?

Taranee looked down at Elyon. The small girl was really quite pretty, even somewhat princess like. Taranee noticed Elyon was blushing, and got the idea of what she was looking at. Taranee was a bit bashful as well, and looked away. She really hadn't gotten a good chance to get to know Elyon before. But, she thought, if Irma, Hay Lin, and Cornelia had been such good friends with her before, she couldn't be all bad, right? Maybe she was somehow a pawn, although Taranee was slightly confused to how that would be. "You know, if you did need to be rescued, we'd be there for you," she said.

"Really? Elyon asked. "Even Will... And you?" she asked.

"Definitely me," Taranee promised.

"Thank you," Elyon said, and gave Taranee quick kiss.

Taranee was happily surprised at first. Her happiness soon turned to dismay as she felt a shock move through her bubble. She quickly threw Elyon out of it. Elyon was similarly confused. Had Taranee merely been letting her get close in order to attack her? "Taranee! What happened?" she asked for an explanation.

Taranee was fuming. Of course Elyon had just been manipulating her. "Forget it, Elyon! I'm through listening to your corrupted thoughts anymore." Taranee said with her back facing away as she concentrated on getting her defences up.

Elyon was both angered and embarrassed. So her different affections were corrupted, were they? She'd figure out a way to get even. She'd use Taranee's weakness against her. Both Taranee and Elyon's treacherous former friends would pay. "Let's go, Cedric," she said as she exited the prison Taranee was being kept in. Cedric grinned, although Elyon didn't notice. He couldn't hide his pleasure that his plan to instill distrust between the two had worked.


End file.
